Joe University

Congratulations to Jose Santiago, the first freelance contributor to Joe Barter’s online monthly newsletter, Networking News, with his behind-the-wheel review of the 2007 BMW X5 SAV.

You can read Santiago’s automobile review under “Joe Picks: Automobiles” in our January issue. Just log on to joebarter.com and click Joe Newsletter from the drop down menu of our Joe Media section on the home page.

Now, it’s your turn.

Have a favorite restaurant, movie, CD, or nightclub? Spread the word through our Joe Barter network. Our members want to know how they can enjoy life without wasting their time or money. They also want to know your thoughts, on more pressing subjects, if you have something worthwhile to say.

So, tell us why the food at that hole-in-the-wall eatery is worth driving to the next county to sample. Or why that club is a cool place to hang out.

Tell us why we should send more troops to Iraq. Or why you’re fed up with the Clippers’ inability to win away from home.

There are no rules or restrictions, except that you communicate clearly and in a way that’s not going to offend everyone. Tackle an inflammatory subject, if you wish, just don’t get personal.

Respect your readers. They’re Joe Barter members and part of a community.
That’s worth remembering.

All submissions should bear the author’s name, state of residence, and be
e-mailed to:

For first-time visitors to this blog, Joe Barter is a new online business for the Southern California community, where registered members can buy, sell or trade products, services and textbooks at no charge. They also can access free networking resources to enrich their careers, education and lives.

Registration at joebarter.com is free to anyone.

Excuse the headline, but those of us at Joe Barter are stoked that the number of listings at www.joebarter.com is growing incrementally. We’re showing 683 product listings in 35 categories plus 421 professional service listings in almost 50 categories.

Joe Barter is an online business where registered members can buy, sell or trade products and professional services at no charge on Joe’s Trading Post. College students can sell or swap college textbooks among one another at Textbook Traders. All our members can also access free networking resources.

Our business model is a hybrid of Craigslist and eBay, except our site looks cooler, site navigation is quicker and easier, interface functionality is to die for, and did we mention Textbook Traders?

To become a member, register for free at www.joebarter.com

Then go to Joe’s Trading Post to post your listings or to search for products and professional services. You’ll find easy-to-read screens, drop down menus, an edit function, photo download capability, and a search function that allows you to hone in on a specific city or ZIP code for your needs. There’s also a “My Account” feature that automatically tracks your trading and sales history on our site.

Visit Textbook Traders (located at Joe University) to swap old texts for next semester’s books with other students on campus. All trades are free. A “Textbook Manager” feature automatically builds a booklist of the texts you have to trade and those you're seeking from other students on campus. Tell your classmates about Textbook Traders. The more students who use this tool to trade texts and save money, the better everyone’s chances are of making successful trades.

Register free today at www.joebarter.com and post your listings. Check out our free networking resources, too.